Diagnostic Breather With Optical End-of-Life Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing breathers for liquid reservoirs, such as those in engine crank cases and lubricant storage, face challenges in determining their end-of-life due to the difficulty in assessing when they have reached maximum humidity saturation, leading to potential contamination and inefficiency, especially in harsh environments like wind turbines where visibility and accessibility are limited.
Innovation Solution
A breather system equipped with a desiccant and an electronic end-of-life detection system, utilizing temperature and humidity sensors to determine the relative humidity and trigger a controller to indicate when the desiccant has reached its end of life, typically at a predetermined relative humidity of 40%, thereby facilitating timely replacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If color changing desiccants are used to indicate end of life, then the breather can visually indicate when replacement is needed, but the breather housing must be transparent which reduces strength and creates chemical incompatibility issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary optical system consisting of a light source and a mirror positioned behind the desiccant. The mirror reflects light through the desiccant material, allowing the housing to remain opaque while still enabling visual inspection of desiccant condition. This mediator approach resolves the contradiction by decoupling the transparency requirement from the indication function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes color changing desiccants that transition from blue to pink as they reach saturation. This visual color change provides clear end-of-life indication without requiring the housing to be transparent, as the color change can be observed through the opaque housing with the aid of the light source and mirror system.
2Loss of information
If color changing desiccants are used, then end of life can be indicated, but the chemicals used may be toxic and chemical incompatibility issues arise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the detection parameter from chemical interaction (color changing desiccants) to optical detection (light reflection and color observation). By using a light source and mirror to illuminate and reflect light through the desiccant, the system can detect end-of-life conditions without relying on chemical reactions that may be toxic or incompatible with the lubricant.
3Reliability
If breathers are replaced on a schedule, then contamination prevention is maintained, but replacement occurs before the breather reaches end of life
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism through visual indicators that show the actual condition of the desiccant. The color changing desiccant provides real-time feedback on moisture saturation levels, allowing operators to replace the breather only when actually needed rather than following a predetermined schedule. This eliminates premature replacement while maintaining reliable contamination prevention.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the breather is located in cramped, poorly lit areas of wind turbine nacelles, then the breather can be installed in the required location, but visibility and accessibility for inspection and replacement become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a light source that is activated when the breather cover is opened or when inspection is needed. This preliminary action of providing light before inspection makes the desiccant color change visible even in dark, cramped nacelle environments. The mirror positioned behind the desiccant further enhances visibility by reflecting light directly onto the desiccant, making inspection easier without requiring the breather to be in an accessible location.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution allows for precise determination of the breather's end of life, preventing contamination and ensuring optimal performance by enabling timely replacement, even in challenging environments like wind turbines, where visibility and accessibility are restricted.
Implementation Method 1
a desiccant positioned within the housing such that air passing through the breather from the outside to the inside of the reservoir of the reservoir must pass through the desiccant
Implementation Method 2
a humidity sensor positioned within the housing. The humidity sensor is operable to provide a humidity signal indicative of the humidity level adjacent the humidity sensor
Data Source
AI summary
A breather including desiccant for humidity control includes an electronic end of life detection system. A temperature sensor and humidity sensor provide a temperature and humidity of the desiccant to a controller. The controller determines the relative humidity of the desiccant. The controller determines that the desiccant, and thus breather, has reached its end of life (i.e., end of useful life) when the relative humidity reaches a predetermined relative humidity (e.g., 40%). Optionally, a pressure sensor provides a pressure of the reservoir to the controller. The controller determines a fault condition or end of life condition of the breather when the pressure exceeds a predetermined pressure.